New Jersey children add voices to NJ Transit to raise awareness for autism
"When the kids heard their own voices, they laughed, they cried, they cheered," said the man behind the announcements.
NEWARK, New Jersey (WPVI) -- The next time you ride NJ Transit, you will notice some new voices making the announcements.
Local children are replacing the robotic voiceovers this month to raise autism acceptance.
April is Autism Awareness Month and the man behind this idea says it's a perfect fit.
Jonathan Trichter, the CEO of Happy Hour 4 Kids, says neurodiverse children notoriously love trains and conductors.
"It's not uncommon that a child with ASD might utter as his or her first sentence, a public service announcement they hear every day on trains, such as 'Stand clear of the closing doors, please,'" Trichter says.
To celebrate this collaboration with NJ Transit, they brought the young recording stars to Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey, to get a first listen to their very important announcements.
"It was pure joy," Trichter says. "This is almost like the Make-A-Wish Foundation for children who are different, but otherwise physically very healthy. You could see the joy in their faces and their eyes. Honestly, it's just the best idea I've ever had."
Trichter runs several special needs schools across the country.
Last April, he worked with the MTA in New York City to have kids record the announcements.
This year, he got NJ Transit on board.
"Their wonderful staff that worked on this project really loved the idea from the start," he says. "When the kids heard their own voices, they laughed, they cried, they cheered. They were shy, there were prideful. They're glorious."
NJ Transit also wrapped its buses to celebrate Autism Awareness Month.
You can hear the announcements at all NJ transit stations throughout the month, with local kids as the stars.
